The RCI Blog

Picture taken while taking a free ride on a car ferry across the waters of the Gulf of Mexico from Galveston Island in Texas.

-Hue N. from Hamilton, ON

Each evening, sitting on the spacious porch of our resort, we were treated to a blaze of glory with varying degrees of color every evening. Summer sunsets overlooking Canyon Lake are gorgeous! Our family of 5 loved the different colors and intensity every evening! What a way to relax.

-John M. from Succasunna, NJ

Sunset silhouettes.

-Raymond B. from Hillsdale, MI

As suggested by an RCI Vacation Guide, we visited Galveston, Texas. I met one of my cousins and her family that I had not seen in over 30 years. We grew up in upstate New York. We visited Lake Jackson where they lived and many of the sights in the area. One great memory was eating local BBQ - finger lickin' good! People were so friendly that we went back again through another RCI exchange. It was one of our best exchanges, with the beach across the street from our resort. May not sound like much to some, but it was a wonderful experience connecting with relatives that had moved far away.

-Joyce M. from Enfield, CT

Christmas Day 2010, surf fishing on Mustang Island, Texas.

-Bobby A. from Austin, TX

This was my first vacation through RCI. I took my boys, ages 12 and 13, along with their friend to the Texas Coast. One of the days we were there, we checked out the waterpark at Galveston Island. My boys loved it. We rode the lazy rivers all day long. My boys didn't want to leave and laughed the entire day. It was priceless.

-Jennifer C. from Baton Rouge, LA

Being birders means traveling to find the ideal spot where birds are plentiful (and/or of a rare type). For us, last year in Brownsville, Texas, a wind change caused a "fall-out" of birds of all types and descriptions. This tired, beautiful little fellow was one of them.

-Robert S. from Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Timing is everything. My wife and 2 daughters were surprised to find out that our vacation was in perfect timing with the baby turtle release at North Padre Island. The ridley eggs generally hatch at night and the release takes place at sunrise. Park staff carry the baby sea turtles to the beach in coolers and place each one gently on the sand. The hatchlings immediately head toward the surf, towards the sun. Once they reach the water, the surf carried them into the water. We'll remember this trip for a lifetime.

-Ernest G. from Kyle, TX

A short time ago, I visited Austin, Texas for a “Girls Weekend.”  Coming from Louisiana, New Jersey and Colorado, we were looking for a cool city to meet up in and spend the weekend exploring, shopping, eating and generally enjoying each other’s company.  Austin was a perfect pick!

There are so many restaurants to choose from, including outdoor bars where we could people-watch (one of my favorite activities!).  Austin’s theme “Keep Austin Weird” is apparent throughout the city.  It’s a very unique city that is proud of its differences.  We spent an entire day shopping on Congress Street – there are so many funky new and vintage shops – something for everyone! Uncommon Objects was a shop we all loved. 

In general, Austin was a great city for us because we could walk around, pop into shops, stop to eat at all the local restaurants and food trucks, and see the town without having to drive a lot. Then there is the music and nightlife scene!  6^th Street is the place to be – grab a bite to eat and then stay for happy hour and a night of local music and dancing.

Whether you are looking for a romantic getaway, a family adventure or a fun weekend with friends, you won’t be disappointed with Austin. Want to hear more about Austin and other spots in Texas? Come back to the RCI Blog this week. We’ll be sharing stories and photos from RCI subscribing members who have visited Texas themselves!

A short drive to Portland, Maine to see the beautiful Portland Head Light lighthouse on a nice summer day.

-Peter B. from Suncook, NH

Visiting Maine in May was a wonderful experience! Amazing lighthouses and golf!

-Sara K. from Newport News, VA

People climbing the rock at Acadia National Park in Maine.

-Walker B. from York, SC

Lighthouse in Maine

-Walker B. from York, SC

This was in Cape Porpoise, Maine at the most charming little harbor. Great for kayaking and lobster.

-Felicia B. from Mercer Island, WA

Can't beat New England Lobster. So delish!

-Felicia B. from Mercer Island, WA

While visiting Mount Blue State Park in Maine I was walking near the lake and thought this was out of the ordinary.

-Pam B. from Oil City, PA

Paddling up creek off the Androscoggin in Bethel, Maine.

-Pam B. from Oil City, PA

Last fall, after attending the wedding of a friend in New Hampshire, my boyfriend Blake and I decided to extend the weekend and head over to Maine for a couple of nights. Having both never been, we made a short list of must-do’s before we went, which included shopping, sightseeing, and, yep, lobster.

From New Hampshire, we decided to drive over to Route 1 in Maine to start our journey – a bit of a longer way to get there, but it allowed us to stop at a few antique stores along the way. An added bonus, we were able to stop by Kennebunkport, a great little town on a river, to walk around and grab lunch. After checking out a few of the stores, we wandered into a small shop called The Old Salt’s Pantry for our first – and what would be our best – lobster roll of the trip…and, believe me, we tried countless other delicious lobster rolls! We even had somewhat of a strategy when it came to trying them: we’d only order one lobster roll at each place and each have half so that we could try them at a few different places in one day (without feeling too guilty!).

Next up was Portland. And while it rained most of our time there, we still made the best of it. We walked around Commercial Street where there’s a bunch of restaurants, coffee shops, and stores of all kind – clothing, jewelry, accessories, kitchenware. After that, we drove over to the Portland Head Light lighthouse and snapped some photos of the beautiful, yet stormy, views.

Finally, what trip to Maine wouldn’t be complete without a visit to L.L. Bean’s flagship store? Blake is an outdoor nut, so seeing this was at the top of his list. It’s located in Freeport, a short drive from Portland. And – it’s open 24 hours a day, so of course we went at midnight…and we spent about 2-3 hours there! We even took a picture with the gigantic L.L. Bean boot, which is located right outside the front of the store.

Whether your Maine vacation is filled with sunshine or rain (like ours), you can still have a lot of fun. This week on the RCI Blog, we’ll be sharing photos from RCI subscribing members who have traveled to Maine. Be sure to come back to take a look at their fantastic pictures! And check out a couple photos from my trip below…

Lobster roll at The Old Salt’s Pantry

Portland Head Light Lighthouse

Yosemite

-Marvin Z. from Canton, MI

Yosemite

-Marvin Z. from Canton, MI